Security focus at SMM

This Year’s SMM show in the German port city of Hamburg in September is set to focus on maritime security in a dedicated exhibition hall (B8).

Protection from cyber-attacks, piracy and theft in ports is of vital interest for shipyards, equipment manufacturers, terminal operators and service providers. The organisers claim that a large number of exhibitors have already registered for space in Hall B8 – there are just a few spaces still available.

The threat from cyber crime is also one of the subjects covered by the conference programme of MS&D (Maritime Security & Defence) on 7 September 2016. MS&D is an accompanying conference for SMM, and features leading international experts discussing not only the increase in IT risks, but also how to combat organised crime, and to effectively secure ports and maritime routes.

Piracy continues to be an acute risk for shipping. In 2015 the number of armed attacks at sea was about the same as the previous year, but “the current calm off the coasts of Somalia is due only to the naval forces deployed there, and the huge investments by shipping lines in security personnel and protective equipment. And we are also concerned about other regions, such as Nigeria and Asian waters,” says Oliver Wieck, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce in Germany. A large number of manufacturers will also present their anti-piracy solutions at SMM

Ports are equally attractive to criminal gangs. The contents of a single container may be worth seven-digit amounts – and that makes terminals a worthwhile target for organised crime. Here, too, the risk of cyber-attacks is increasing. In the past, specialist gangs have often succeeded in hacking terminal systems. Huge losses can be prevented by effective data protection, and also smart access control systems for the port area. Appropriate technical methods will be presented at SMM.

Where attacks come from the sea, it is up to the coastguard to take action. SMM exhibitor Rafnar Shipyard from Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland, will present a ship type developed by the company specifically for the Icelandic Coast Guard. Leiftur RIB, the third and latest generation of Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs), is eleven metres long and has a maximum speed of 40 knots. “It has been proven that this craft works extremely well for us in our operations in Icelandic waters,” says Georg Lárusson, CEO of the Icelandic Coast Guard.